The Result of Reading
by ReadingStar
Summary: Severus sees Lily reading a book in the Library...


**Written for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Round 13, Anything you want to write.  
Team: Holyhead Harpies Posted on behalf of Beater 2 (Read A/N at end)  
Length: 1000 words, excluding A/Ns**

**DISCLAIMER:**

_**No matter how much I wish, I shall never be J.K. Rowling  
**_**_No matter how much I beg, I shall never own Harry Potter_****.**

**I did not write most of this story, a. It was actually written by ForeverNerdGirl7 and will be deleted once it had been judged/ reposted.**

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Severus Snape smiled to himself. He was still giddy over the fact that Lily had stayed at Hogwarts with him for the holidays. He never went home, as long as he could avoid it. He would've been basically alone if it weren't for Lily giving up a nice holiday with her family to keep him company.

"That's what best friends are for, Sev," she had explained to him.

It felt good to be someone's best friend.

Severus roamed the halls, looking for Lily. A glimpse of deep red hair, a flash of sparkling emerald eyes, anything. He wanted to ask her about the Charmsessay that was due when classes started again. He stopped in his tracks and almost smacked himself. Of course, she'd be at the library! She was studying hard for the Potions exam that was scheduled for the end of break. She was having trouble with that subject, which happened to be one of his best.

Second-best only to Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was excellent at that. He veered to the right, walking briskly. He was in a good mood, which was strange for him. Well, it was mainly just him and Lily for once, that was a plus. And there was no Potter around to ruin it, that was an even bigger pro. He decided that for once, he was a happy person. At fourteen years old, there hadn't been very much happiness in his life. And, unsurprisingly, every time he was happy it was usually associated with Lily Evans. That girl was everything to him. Whether she knew it or not, she was probably the only reason he hadn't given up on life yet. To know that there were kind, happy people like her in the world gave him hope, in ways he could not, and possibly could never, express to her. Yes, she was his best friend. But she was more.

He finally arrived at the library. Went up and down the aisles, checking for her. It was only one library, where could she be?

"Lily?" He called her name gently. He expected to see her smiling face, grinning and waving. "Sev!"

He was instead met with silence. He knew she was in here, she had to be. He had already checked everywhere else. He almost turned to go back, when he heard a small hiccup from the corner of the room. It was rather adorable, and he knew only one person that little hiccup could belong to. He smiled (what a strange day) and walked over to where he heard the small sound come from.

"Lily, how's the Potion's studying goi-" he was cut off by a sniffle, and then he saw her. She was sitting in the very corner of the library, against the wall. She was hugging something close to her chest, tears falling onto it. Her face was red from crying, and she looked up at him pathetically. She quickly looked away, unable to make eye contact. She seemed ashamed.

"Go away, Sev."

He didn't know what to do, he hovered over her for another minute, frozen.

"I said to go away, Severus!"

And that's the words that he needed to hear. He sat down next to her.

"C-come on, Lily,' he started hesitantly. "What's wrong?"

"Just let it go. I'm fine. It's nothing, really."

"It has to be something, if it's making you cry."

She wiped her tears away angrily. That's when he saw what she was holding. He took it gently from her.

"A book?"

She snatched it from him, curling her knees up and hugging it. She had finally calmed down a little.

Severus was awful at comforting people, he really was. But this was his best friend. He had to do something. He, ever so slowly, stretched out his arms and wrapped them around her. He was wary of the embrace at first, but when she turned her head into his chest he tightened his grip and held her close. she started bawling again and she cried in his arms. He felt horrible that she was crying, honestly, but a small part of him was happy. Just happy to be holding her in his arms, happy that she trusted him so much.

"I- it's nothing improtant," Lily finally said, calming down slightly. Pulling herself away from him.

"It is," Severus insisted. "It is if it made you cry. "Do you want to talk about it?" he continued, awkwardly, after a few seconds. "Might make you feel better if you let it out..."

Lily nodded after a bit of hesitation.

"I was reading this book and it's about this boy named Jess who is kind of an outcast at school," Lily began slowly her eyes tearing up again. "a bit like we were, before Hogwarts, and then this girl named Leslie joins his school and they're both outcasts and become friends, like us, and then Leslie dies. And I just thought what it would be like if you died Sev, you were my first friend and…" She began to sob again, tears pouring down her eyes.

Severus was touched. Lily cared about him so much that she had cried at the thought of him dying, true the thought of Lily dying and leaving him was a terrible one too.

"Sev, promise that we'll always be friends," Lily whispered to him. "Promise that you'll never leave me."

"I- I promise," Severus replied slowly, hugging her again.

"And I'll never leave you," Lily continued through her sobs. "We'll be friends forever, Sev, we'll always be friends."

He nodded again, I promise, he said in his head. I promise to always be there for you, Lily. I promise to always he be your friend, no matter what.

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**Once again, I did not write most of this fic, I only write it starting "I- it's nothing improtant," Lily finally said... And am posting this on behalf of the actual Beater 2 (ForeverNerdGirl7) who was unable to post hers.**

**Thanks**

**-Stara**


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